Home is where the heart is
by jaiden silver rose
Summary: A new arrival at the hospital sends ripples through the staff and possibly into Miles' heart. Miles/OC and Kitmas.
1. Prologue

**A/N: So I had this idea because I felt a great character like Miles deserved someone, please review if you want me to continue. enjoy :)**

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It was a quiet night. Only the whistling wind and faint blasts from far away could be heard. The ground was hard and the grass crisp with frost. A thick fog hung in the air so much so if you sucked in you could feel the water in it. Not that you'd want to. Although the winter night should be cool and fresh the smell of blood, infection and mud invaded these fields, the same fields in which a young captain placed a golf ball.

The club he held aloft made a wail as it cut downwards slicing through the air and then hit home with a bang. The ball shot through the air never to be seen again.

"Nice shot," said a familiar voice behind him. He spun around to see Kitty. She sat on a fold down chair still in uniform but her apron removed. She was smoking. He remembered the first time he'd seen her like that; it was nearly 6 months ago now.

"Ah, Miss Trevelyan, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he shot her his most charming smile, "Decided to leave that grumpy bastard and run away with me instead?" she raised her eyebrows and silently handed him a cigarette which he took.

"I'll take that as a no, shame I could've had us in Switzerland by Friday." She continued to stare at him for a minute before saying,

"You know if Tom did think you were trying to steal me from him, he'd have your head." She showed a small proud smile now and Miles sighed.

"Alas, I shall have to find someone new to practice my charm on,"

"Might I suggest Flora?" she said joking

"Too easy." He said shaking his head.

"Then Rosalie?" they both laughed at that. It was nice, Miles thought, that they could be friends like this, laughing and joking together. When he had first discovered Tom and Kitty's relationship he hadn't known how to act around her. With Tom things had stayed the same besides his greatly improved mood.

Over time he and Kitty had returned to their previous friendship though perhaps it was stronger. He remained the only party with knowledge of their relationship.

They returned to silence for a few more minutes, her sat down neatly and him slumped casually in the chair next to hers. Both still smoking. Eventually he broke the silence.

"So how are things?" Kitty looked at him briefly but then turned away sharply.

"Trouble in paradise?" Miles asked trying to make light of whatever it was though leaning forwards intrigued.

"I'd hardly call this paradise," she snapped back. Miles fell back against his chair, he'd learnt from experience not to pry into her business. She would tell him if and when she wanted to. If you tried to dig into her feelings she would bury them deeper. After a few more minutes in the uneasy silence Kitty looked up at him biting her lip.

"He won't write home. I ask him why and he says nothing, in fact I know nothing at all of his family." Miles rubbed his forehead and gave her an understanding look.

"My dear Kitty let me tell you something. In all the time I've known him, which is a fair bit longer than you have mind, Tom has never written home. Me and you, Kitty, are the two people who really know him here and yet I know nothing of his family either. Don't think on it." Kitty smiled weakly clearly thinking.

"I just don't understand, he knows everything about my past now, Elliot, Sylvie. And yet he's a closed book to me." She looked down at her lap. "His parents aren't they worried, what if something happened to him? And they never knew, how would they feel then?" Tears were appearing in her eyes now. The Captain put a hand on her shoulder as he stood up.

"Every month he sends half his wages away, a quarter to England, his parents I assume and a quarter somewhere else, I don't know where. No message, just a signed card. He doesn't like to talk about it, but if he'll talk to anyone it'll be you."

"Thank you Miles," She put out her cigarette and walked away. For the first time in his life he felt a pang of jealousy towards his friend. Not because he wanted Kitty, in truth he never really wanted her specifically, it was more she intrigued him. Now he could see the obvious chemistry between them and was happy to have been confided in. No this feeling came from a place of loneliness. It had never really mattered to him to settle down with a woman, he'd always liked to play the field, be dashing and flirty. But now seeing Tom's face light up just if Kitty walked by or him paying total concentration to a conversation just if her name was mentioned, made him feel a desperate need for companionship.

Only he'd never met anyone he'd even remotely considered settling down with. Accept maybe Kitty once but seeing her with Tom made him see they were made for each other. In truth she should never have married Elliot. Then again had she not he and Tom may have never met her. She was best as a friend anyway. But he did make himself a deal that winter.

_Once this blasted war is over I'll find myself someone, someone that I'll want to stay with for the rest of my life._


	2. Chapter 1

Miles.

The hospital was in late spring but its' occupants were already acting like it was mid-summer. Rosalie's flowers were in full bloom which spread cheer faster than infection. Which was good as the rise in temperature caused wounds to infect quicker and the smell of blood and burning flesh to become almost unbearable at midday or after a convoy. But most people were in higher spirits since the cold harsh winter. One day Miles came back to his tent from surgery to find a single daffodil on his desk and another on Tom's. The mystery of how it got there was quickly solved when he overheard Matron giving Flora a stern telling off for entering other people's tents. He'd made sure to thank her later for the kind gesture on behalf of himself and Tom, who on seeing the flower had taken to dissecting it with a small scalpel.

On one of his afternoons off the orderlies had arranged a football match for any of the staff or well enough patients. The nurses had been quickly told they would not be joining in but were allowed to sit at the side lines with any patients to ill or unable to play. It was a great hit and Miles' team won. He played midfield and thought he did a fair job, Tom was an excellent striker but the real star turned out to be Saunders, a young private who played as their goal keeper. He was to be sent back to the front line the evening, he was in for minor burns to the back. Private Saunders claimed that if it hadn't been for the war he would have played for England. After his performance on the pitch no one could disagree. The cooks provided sandwiches as their contribution to raising the men's spirits. It worked and once the food was gone Miles saw Tom out of the corner of his eye making his way into the woods. He looked around and kitty was nowhere to be seen.

It's sweet really, he supposed. Whenever they had free time they would go out walking in the woods or on the beach. Miles smiled to himself as he made his way to his tent in hope that his next magazine would have arrived. On the way he past the Colonel's office and heard the uproar inside. Walking up the stairs, he stood outside. The Colonels voice was clear but the second was unknown.

"I'm sorry, but you can't come in here demanding to see one of our top surgeons, especially as you won't tell me who you are and why you're here."

The second voice was female and had the faintest Scottish edge to it.

"I'm sorry; I will explain and provide you with all the necessary paper work once I've seen Captain Gillian, it's very important."

"If it was so important you would at least give us your name."

"Once I've seen the Captain," she insisted.

Tom never had visitors so Miles wasn't going to let this one pass by. He walked quickly to the woods and once he reached them he broke into a jog. He found them soon enough, sat down on an old blanket, he was laughing at something she had said.

"My, my is that the screaming banshees of hell or are you laughing?"

Tom looked up annoyed,

"What do you want Miles?" he said and Kitty looked up expectedly.

"Well now isn't that a question, can I have a moment to think about it?" Tom sighed and kitty sucked in her lips to supress a smile.

"Actually there is someone here to see you." Tom stared at him, clearly not seeing this as a good enough reason to move.

"A visitor, Tom, I don't know who, but they're causing quite a stir in the Brett's office." Tom still stayed sat.

"It's a girl, young and by the sound of her voice Scottish." With that Tom's face drained of colour and he jumped to his feet and started walking briskly away. Miles offered a hand to Kitty which she accepted.

"Who is it?"

"I don't know, but I reckon he does." He gave her a slight bow of the head and jogged off to catch up with his friend.

He caught up with him as he reached the edge of the wood. Tom had a stony look on his face that told him he shouldn't ask any questions, though he didn't seem to object to him following him. As they neared the Colonel's office Miles could hear the girl was getting more desperate.

"Please just let me see him and then I'll tell you everything, I won't say a word till then." Tom also heard this and burst through the door, Miles hot on his heels.

"Amelia, what are you doing here?" he shouted as soon as he saw the girl.

She was tall, stood up, and slim though her long coat hid it slightly. She had long thin fingers which ere tightly gripped around a worn hat. Her hair would be long if loose but instead it as wound elaborately around her head in a black coil. She had the brightest eyes Miles had seen since Tom's and they were both rimmed with a set of thick lashes. She had a beauty Miles knew could only be achieved naturally, the effortless, subtle kind, clear pale skin and a slight rose to the cheeks. It was the look many women would spend a life time trying to achieve. As she turned her gaze on Tom her face lit up and a smile spread across her full red lips to show a set of pearly white teeth. As quickly as it had come the smile faded into a stern line.

"Thomas," she said coolly trying to keep her face straight but her eyes showed signs of utter relief almost as if she might cry. Despite this she maintained perfect composure and posture and drew a sheet of paper from her coat pocket.

"Gillian, do you know this woman?" The Colonel asked taking the paper from Amelia.

"Of course I do, this is my sister."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Than you to everyone who reviewed I really love getting feed back. so this is chapter 2 I don't no how long the story is going to be but I will be trying to update regularly it depends if you like it. hope you enjoy :) **

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"You never told us you had a sister," Brett said looking between the two and sensing this wasn't the happiest of reunions.

"I'll try not to take that too personally, that's my transfer paper." She replied pointing at the folded paper still in the Colonels hand. He unfolded it and began to read. Amelia turned back to Tom.

"I don't see why you are surprised, Thomas, I'm a nurse, this is a hospital."

Tom just looked at the ground and Miles was trying not to laugh, it wasn't normal to get this sort of drama. The Colonels had finished reading the document and looked up eyebrows raised.

"Well Miss Gillian you do get around a bit, 7 field hospitals in a year that is impressive, though not nearly as impressive as your references. That is the head of military nursing writing this if I'm correct."

Amelia turned her head back and shot him a smile, different to the one she'd showed briefly on seeing Tom. This was less natural but utterly charming.

"Yes, you know you are, she came to my hospital a few months back and said she'd rite me a reference, I think and made quite an impression."

The Colonel was clearly impressed.

"I don't doubt she was, but Miss if you had told me this before it would have been fine."

"Oh I can only apologise, I was worried you'd have me whisked away straight into work, given the convoy you're expecting in a few hours. And you see I just had to talk to my brother for a minute, it's been so long since we've corresponded." The Colonel eyed her suspiciously,

"How do you know about that convoy?"

"Oh it's written on the telegram on your desk sir." She replied innocently.

"Ah I see, well Miss Gillian if you would so kindly wait here with the Captain I shall send someone to show you to your quarters once have let the other staff know of the convoy, no doubt your specialist skills will be needed." He nodded at her and left the room.

Amelia turned her gaze to Miles. As he locked eyes with her he couldn't help but smile, not his normal trying to charming smile, just his real smile the one reserved for friends and funny things. In a couple of minutes he had managed to have the Colonel on her side, she was impressive.

"Who are you?" she asked in the same sweet smile she had given the Colonel.

"Captain Hesketh-Thorne, but you can call me Miles." She nodded and took his outstretched hand squeezing it lightly. Her hands were soft though her nails looked worn.

"Amy, call me Amy." She said as she let go, his hand fell to his side already missing the presence of hers.

Tom looked between the two of them and laughed slightly.

"Don't get too excited Miles she'll let anything with a pulse call her that."

"Then I thank god I'm alive." Amy rolled her eyes and turned to Tom.

"Are you going to tell me why?"

"Why what?"

"63 letters Thomas, and no reply, 63 and that's not including those from mama or Jaimie." Tom ran a hand through his hair clearly not sure how to respond. "Did you even open them?"

"How are they?" Amy turned away disgusted before turning back around and slapping Tom straight across the face, he recoiled in shock and Miles raised a hand to his mouth to hide a laugh. He'd heard that Kitty had hit him once and had always wished he'd been there to see it.

"You'd know if read them." She snapped, but then sighed, "Jaimie is alive, and doing well from what he says," Tom nodded still holding his cheek, "and mama is fine, lonely but fine, she's so proud of us." She smiled slightly then.

"And Joey?" Tom said also smiling with relief.

"I don't know, we don't write to each other." She said bluntly. Miles could sense tension in her voice.

"I'm sorry." Tom said not able to meet her gaze.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't cover it. I need answers. " Tom looked at her for a moment but the turned and left leaving Miles alone with her. Amy went to follow him but Miles caught her arm before she could.

"Leave him. I think he's a bit shocked to see you."

"He's my brother." she said pulling her arm out of his grip, she was stronger than she looked.

"And he is my friend." Amy turned to look at him.

"Do you look out him them?" she said taking a seat in the Colonels chair. Miles nodded not bothering to mention she shouldn't sit there. Something told him she wouldn't care.

"So he never mentioned me?" he shook his head.

"He never mentions his family."

"Not even his twin?" she said looking uncomfortable.

"Twin? How many of you are there?" Miles smiled he was finally going to find out the true story of Tom's past.

"4, Joey is the oldest, 10 minutes older than Tom… he's a captain in the royal engineers, then Tom the clever one, me, the resourceful one and then Jaimie."

"And who's Jaimie?"

"He used to be called the runt by our farther, he's a Private on the front line, he wanted to play for England, he's a survivor one day he will."

"You miss him?" Miles said hearing the sadness in her voice.

"Of course I do, I've been missing both of them that's why I'm here. I'm a nurse, a good nurse, I could work anywhere, but I wanted to work here-"

"You seem like someone who often gets what she wants." Miles ignored the exclusion of her eldest brother remembering how she'd said they didn't correspond.

"Well I got here." Miles stared at her. She was different, showing so many different sides to herself in such a short time. She was clearly a charmer but not all the time, she was strong and independent though part of her needed her brother. Though she hadn't said it the smile she gave Tom when she first saw him said something words could never say. She needed him and he needed her, though Miles knew his friend well enough to know he wouldn't admit it. He was a professional, in love with his work. Kitty broke that rule but Amy was his sister, he couldn't ignore her now.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Amy said. Miles jumped slightly and ignored the question asking his own instead.

"The Colonel said you had specialist skills, what in?" She raised her eyebrows but answered.

"I'm a surgical nurse." Miles laughed then.

"Of course you are."

"What."

"Tom's a surgeon, and so am I." Amy smiled at him.

"Well I guess we are to be working together." Just then the door opened and Flora walked in

"I've been told there is someone here I need to show around, is that you?" she asked pointing at Amy, who nodded. "I'm terribly sorry I'm not matron, you'll have to see her tomorrow, you see she's dreadfully busy getting ready for this convoy tonight, it's awfully exciting really, well not good exciting, but it does mean more people and I do so love to get involved and help around if I can. Oh I'm sorry I'm going on aren't I? What's your name?"

Amy smiled at her sweetly trying not to laugh,

"Amelia Gillian."

"Oh are you related to Captain Gillian, he can be horrible you know, he shouted at me once because I didn't give the patient some special medicine, but you see I wasn't allowed because I'm not qualified, I'm a VAD, but I can make beds and clean bandages, and now I can wash and feed patients, but still I can't give medicines yet, and I tried to explain this to him but-"

"He's my brother."

"Oh." She said going slightly red,

"I would like to see my sleeping quarters so I may change to be ready for tonight, you see I like to be involved too." She smiled at her and went to leave. Just before the door closed Miles saw her turn to look at him again. And then he was alone.


	4. Chapter 3

Amy fitted in to the hospital incredibly well; the night of her arrival Miles had seen her in the operating tent working alongside her brother. The tension was gone as they worked in professional silence, he barely had to ask for something and it was there. However as the weeks went by Miles noticed more about her. She had a very good bed side manner, laughing and joking with the patients, helping them with even the smallest of tasks. Matron seemed impressed as well and soon she gained a lot of respect around the hospital. She became known as more than just Tom's sister.

Miles had seen no improvement in their relationship though. If ever they came face to face out of surgery he would turn abruptly and walk away. Miles and Kitty had both tried talking to him but he shrugged it off or walked away.

It was 3 weeks after her arrival that Miles came into direct contact with her again.

It was at night and Miles was lying on his bed. His braces where slung of his shoulders and he was engrossed in his latest magazine when he heard his tent hangings being torn roughly apart, knowing that Tom was working a night he shot up to see who his visitor was. Much to his surprise it was Kitty though she was out of uniform only wearing a nightdress and her long hair pulled roughly away from her face.

"Miss Trevelyan, I would be careful coming into peoples tents dressed like that, people will talk." He laughed lightly but stopped on seeing her face in the dim light of her lantern.

"Kitty what is it?"

"Where's Tom?" she said her voice shaking slightly.

"He's on a night shift," he said sitting up, "What's wrong?"

"It's Amy, I'm not sure what's wrong but she's not alright." Miles jumped off his bed and started to put his boots on.

"In what way?"

"She was screaming, well calling out, in her sleep. Her tent is next to mine and I'm a light sleeper."

"I'll have a look." Miles said standing up.

The made there way out into the cool summer night. Her tent was on the other side of the sleeping quarters. The nurse's tents were set slightly apart from the others. As they got close to the newly erected tent they could see it was shaking slightly and then they could hear heavy gasps. Miles pushed aside her tent entrance and entered.

Amy was lying in her bed amidst a tangle of sheets. Her body was shaking and her hands clawing at her arms. Her breathing was like that of someone having a panic attack. Miles ran to her side.

"Amy," he shook her lightly on the shoulders, "Amelia!" as he did this he noticed the unmistakable burn scars on her forearms.

"Kitty, get Tom, she's still asleep."

"What…"

"Go Kitty!" he nearly shouted. He'd seen things like this with patients who had come out of the trenches following a traumatic ordeal. Panic attacks were common around the wards as were night terrors. But there was something scarier about seeing it in a nurse. He found it hard to keep his eyes off the burn marks on her arms as he continued to try to wake her. Eventually her eyes shot open and she sat up abruptly; forcing him off her.

"Joey!" she said putting her arms up as if to defend herself against him.

"It's me, it's Captain Hesketh-thorne, Miles." He said calmly noticing her breathing was still uneven and heavy.

"Tom's friend?" he nodded,

"He's on his way, now breath, slow and deep, ok, you need to calm down." He held her shoulders and breathed with her.

"Does this happen often?" he said when she seemed to have calmed down; she nodded slightly and rolled the sleeves of her nightdress down uncomfortably. They sat in silence for a few minutes. She sat up on her bed and him kneeling beside it. He had lowered his hands so they sat on her forearms lightly and she clung to his sleeves. Her eyes were closed and she was focusing fully on breathing. Miles took his eyes of her gently shaking frame to take in the state of her tent. It was bare; he could only see a small mirror and hair brush surrounded by a litter of pins on an upturned crate. Beside her bed was another crate, this one was turned on its side so the top faced him. Inside was a spare blanket and her coat; both neatly folded. On top stood a lantern, which Kitty had lit before she left. Next to it stood the only picture in the tent; looking at it more closely he could see it was a family portrait. Miles had been in many family portraits and found them dreadfully dull occasions, but this one was different. For one it was poor quality but Miles was aware Tom's family were not as privileged as his was. In fact from what he heard he was actually quite poor. He was in the picture, younger but still recognisable next to another boy of a similar age. He could only assume this was his twin, Joey, who Amy had called the name of as she woke. He would never forget that look of fear in her eyes. She stood next to Tom, she couldn't have been much older than 16 as Tom looked about 18. Another boy was in the picture, younger than the rest, stood beside the woman in the centre who he assumed was their mother. They all looked sad, and not the sad that people are supposed to look for photograph, this sadness touched their eyes practically the mothers.

"It's a newspaper clipping." Amy said quietly, noticing his interest, "taken nearly 10 years ago."

"Oh, why were you in the paper?"

"That was taken a week after my father died, you'll notice he's missing. I don't have a picture of him."

"I'm sorry,"

"Its fine, you can go now, I'll be fine, I just get like that sometimes, sorry to have bothered you."

"I'm not moving till Tom gets here, you gave Kitty such a fright, you gave me a fright, and I'm used to soldiers doing that. Tom will be worried." Amy stared at him for a moment.

"Two weeks after that photograph was taken Tom left for medical school, he wasn't going to go but Mama said he had earned his scholarship and deserved it. So he left, and I didn't see him again for ten years. He had me worried."

"All that time and he didn't come home?"

"Not once."

"Amy!" Tom's voice called as he came through into the tent.

"I'm fine." Amy said quickly as Miles moved to stand next to Kitty who had also entered. The tent was now uncomfortably full. As he past Tom he whispered,

"She has burn scars on her arms." This caused Tom to fall to his knees taking up the position Miles had been in. He rolled up her sleeves and she turned her head away. Tom turned back to Miles,

"Can you cover my shift?"

"Sure." Miles nodded at Kitty and they both left, leaving Amy and Tom alone.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: just a short update today. I have my last exams this week so updates should continue next week. please continue to review it's really nice to hear what you all think. enjoy :) **

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"I owe you an explanation." Amy had said on entering the ward to start her shift, Miles was just finishing his, well Tom's but he hadn't returned last night so Miles assumed he would take his own morning in return.

"It's alright, it's none of my business," though secretly he was dying to know.

"You shouldn't have seen what you saw. I'm sorry." Miles noticed her rubbing one of her arms. This would have just seemed like nervous body language if he weren't aware of the scars that lay beneath.

"Its fine," he said shooting her a small smile, "everyone has their secrets. Even me."

"Really?" she replied in mock surprise. "I thought you rich families shared everything with the papers."

"How do you know I am rich?" Miles said, he was but it surprised him that this information had reached the nurses.

"Hesketh-Thorne is a very well-known name in the medical industry even for us lowly nurses." It was as if she had read his mind. Her smile was soft and genuine, she was joking with him. It was nice talking to her. Miles walked over to his final patient he had to talk to before he left to get breakfast and then a quick rest before no doubt more surgery. Amy followed him and just before introducing himself to a young private she whispered.

"Now's not the time, but I do want to explain." and with that she left to start her rounds.

"She's pretty." Said the private who had just woken up and was staring after her.

"Yes she is." Mile's agreed. But she was much more than that.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: sorry for the slow update, not sure how I feel about this chapter but its longer than the others. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy :)**

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Amy and Tom's relationship seemed to improve after that night. Every breakfast they would sit together. Miles and Kitty would join them as her and Amy were good friends so it didn't look suspicious. They would talk together and laugh. Amy seemed to radiate happiness. If he hadn't seen her that night Miles would have sworn her to be an ordinary happy sister. But he had. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't shake the image of her shaking frame, the scars on her arm. He knew Tom was worried. Not that he showed it to her face; he was smiling and joking then, a side Miles rarely saw. But when she turned away or left his eyes would follow her in a protective gaze. The weeks went by and still Amy had not told him why. There were times he thought she was going to moments they'd ended up in the store room at the same time but they were always interrupted.

Two nights after a practically heavy convoy Miles came across Tom. He was standing alone in the field wielding Miles' golf club. Tom had never shown much interest in the sport but now he was hitting the balls with all his might. As he got closer, about to call out to his friend, he noticed him shaking. He was angry.

"Tom?" Miles said softly so not to scare him.

Tom turned his heard sharply.

"What do you want Miles?" he snapped. Seeing his face Miles could make out tears in his eyes.

"Are you alright? Should I get Amy?" Tom's face instantly told Miles this was a mistake.

"You keep Amelia out of this!" he snapped.

"Okay, okay. But come on what is it? Is it Kitty?"

"No we're fine." He dropped the club which would normally have annoyed Miles but given the circumstance he ignored it.

"Do you remember Private Saunders?" Tom asked. Miles cast his mind back.

"The name rings a bell."

"Footballer, played in the match about a month ago."

"Yeah of course I do." Miles said feeling stupid he had forgotten. Private Saunders was a young lad 18 or 19. Miles remembered him playing their goalie, was good, and wanted to play for England.

"He's dead."

"Oh. Was he in the last Convoy?"

"He died Miles and there was nothing I could do. I became a doctor to help people. But I couldn't save him."

"Tom we can't save everyone." Miles knew losing a patient was an emotional ordeal for Tom, but he had never seen him like this.

"I have a brother, same age. Jaimie, he's fighting."

"I know Amy mentioned it." He decided not to mention he knew Tom had a twin, something told him he shouldn't.

"Well she would, but he wanted to be a footballer, play for England too, and I just thought if it wasn't for this stupid war they might've known each other, who knows they may been have been friends." Miles stared at him there was more to it than that.

"Tom, every kid who can kick a ball wants to play for England. This is a war, there's always going to be casualties you can't save everyone."

"What if I can't save him, like I couldn't save her, Amy needed me and I wasn't there." He was running his hands through his hair pulling at it.

"I don't know what happened-"

"You can probably guess, she got hurt and I wasn't there to protect her."

"It's not your job to."

"He's right." Tom head shot up and Miles turned around. Amy was walking towards them. "I wasn't annoyed because you weren't there; I was annoyed because I thought you had forgotten us. What Joey did was my fault not yours."

Tom's head hung clearly not believing it.

"God damn it Tom!" she snapped, "Never thought I'd agree with a posh snob, but Miles is right-"

"I object to being called a snob," Miles interjected. Amy raised a hand to silence him as she leaned closer to Tom and lowered the tone of her voice.

"He's right, you can't save everyone. But worrying about me and Jaimie won't make you any better at it. We look after our selves. Jaimie's a survivor; we both know that, if any of us were to come out of this war alive it'd be him."

"Don't you see?" Tom said in a small voice. "This is why I didn't write."

She shot him a questioning glace.

"If I write to you or him, then it's real you're in danger-"

"I'm fine,"

"Well Jaimie is then; if I don't write then I can pretend you're safe, both of you. And now I can't because you're here, you're a distraction, why couldn't you have just got married and stayed away from me."

Amy looked taken a back. Clearly the words hurt her.

Miles stood beside her.

"Tom go to sleep." He said no hint of joke in his voice he was showing a rare stern side that not many people saw. But he knew his friend would never speak that way under ordinary circumstances.

Tom stared at him for a moment and then sighed.

"Amy, I'm sorry-"

"Just go." She said weakly in response. Tom nodded and walked away.

Amy stared after him as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't.

"Are you alright?" Miles said touching her arm softly.

She nodded slowly.

"Would you like me to escort you back to your tent?" Miles asked valiantly offering her his arm.

"No, it's fine I might stay out a bit longer." Miles dropped his arm awkwardly.

"Sorry I just thought you'd like to rest as we have early surgery tomorrow."

She raised one eyebrow in a way only some people can achieve.

"You've memorised my schedule?"

"No. I just… we have it together, and you're the nurse that's down-"

He was cut off by her laughing softly. Miles felt himself going red. Why couldn't he have come up with something smooth and dashing to say like he managed with other people? She seemed to have the ability to strip away his charming exterior and see what was beneath. Now wasn't the first time. It had happened on the wards, small comments that embarrassed him in front of the patients or staff. One attempt on his part at small talk in surgery had resulted in a comment that even caused a short laugh from Tom.

"You're funny." Amy said simply.

"What? For a posh snob." Miles slipped out. She smiled at that.

"I'm sorry, it's just I've met men like you before,"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The sort that think they're God's gift to women or something." Miles looked at her for a long moment. She looked different off duty. Her apron was removed and her hair was escaping its usual up do causing soft curls to frame her face. Her pale face contrasted with her dark hair and her blues eyes glittered. It was not dark yet but the sun was gone so a summer chill hung in the air causing her cheeks to glow pink.

"What you looking at?" she said interrupting his thoughts. Without think a single word slipped out,

"You."

She raised one eyebrow again and Miles quickly offered her the golf club Tom had discarded.

"Do you play?" Amy silently accepted it. She weighed it in her palms before rolling it over her knuckles so it span in the air then caught it expertly. She carefully dribbled one of the remaining balls over to her and raised the club. It made a familiar whistling before hitting home. The ball shot through the air out of sight.

"Not bad." Miles said clapping once.

"I don't play but I know how to hit them, Golf seems to be a popular sport for the men." Miles nodded.

"You want to now don't you?" Amy said then.

"What?" she rolled up her sleeves showing him the burns on her arms. Small circular disks of white skin. In the light they were barely visible.

"They are burns." Miles said softly running the tips of his fingers over the scared skin.

"Yes." She said softly.

"Did someone do this to you?"

"Yes,"

"Then yes I would like to know."

"I grew up on a rich man's estate. My Mama and Papa worked for him as a cook and blacksmith. Joey was like my Father's apprentice. When he passed away and Tom left he became man of our small house. Tom wrote then, not much but we were thankful. He had a scholarship so we didn't have to worry about money for him. Time went on and I had been studying at the local community school. Joey didn't like that, he wanted me to cook, take over from our mother as she hadn't been the same since Papa's death. When I turned 18 I was offered a place on a nurse training course. It turned out Tom wasn't the only clever one. It got bad then, Jaimie was 13 and couldn't seem to learn anything, he started running away from school, and he wanted Tom. One day he ran in to trouble with the man of the estate. He wasn't nice; he didn't see why he should be allowed to stay with the trouble he was causing. He struck us a deal, well with Joey. He said… he said we could stay on the condition that Jaimie would work for him in the stables. Joey agreed to this, and to another term that I was not aware of. The man of the estate was rich, but it was new money, the family had no status, but he did have a son, recently widowed. He was a disgusting man nearly twice my age and he wanted a wife. He didn't need one of wealth or power, essentially he wanted a whore, pardon my language,"

"Did he do this to you?" Amy shook her head quickly.

"No, but given the chance my bet is he would've. Joey arranged it. He persuaded Mama it was what was best, but I said no. He called me selfish, told me to think of Jaimie, to think of Mama, I still refused, I tried to write to Tom but he would burn my letters before I could send them. And then he would burn me. Branding me he would call it, he said workmen marked their property he said I would never be anything more now, that I would always belong to someone." Amy was shaking so Miles put his hand on her shoulders to steady her.

"What did you do?"

"I went to nursing school, I left. I wrote to my mother, she had no idea what had been happening. I don't know if she got the letter. I wrote to Tom but I couldn't find the words. I told him I was training to become a nurse. I returned a few times but it became too much I wasn't welcome anymore. I finished my training started work in hospital then the war started so I transferred to the field, I hoped I'd find Tom and now I have." Miles stared at her; he had three younger sisters but could never imagine treating any of them as Joey had her.

"Does your mother know now?"

"Yes, I sent her a letter at my first hospital, Joey had already left, she feels bad, but there's nothing she could have done." She looked awkwardly at him as if waiting for him to say something, but he couldn't find the words, and so she walked away.


End file.
